Considerable research attention has focused on risk for depression and other forms of psychopathology in children of depressed mothers with recent attention focusing on mechanisms for the transmission of risk. Developing models to understand the increased vulnerability in children of depressed mothers has important implications for identifying which children are at heightened risk and identifying targets for preventative interventions. The purpose of the proposed research is to investigate some theorized mechanisms for the transmission of risk from depressed mothers to their children by studying interpersonal, affective, and cognitive variables in preschool-aged children of depressed and well mothers. Group differences in the children's interactive behavior with their mothers during a simulated emotional event and their physiological arousal in response to their mothers' display of emotions as well as their delayed recall of their mothers' negative emotions and behaviors and perceptions of personal responsibility for their mothers' distress will be investigated. Findings will be interpreted from a developmental psychopathology perspective in terms of an integrative model for the transmission of risk from depressed mothers to their offspring.